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Grey Tree Frogs

meghanashley

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My son collected tadpoles at the end of the summer and they turned out to be grey tree frogs. I set up a terarrium for them and all seemed to be going well except now, I'm missing all 5 grey tree froglets. I hoping maybe they have gone into hibernation, I have been trying to research but can not find any GOOD info. i.e what causes them to go into hibernation, temp drop, or just because its that time of the year.

The last time I saw one of the froglets he had this foamy substance he seemed to be covering himself with, I thought it might be the antifreeze stuff they ozze to protect their cells from cold damage.

I read that if you would like these guys to go into hibernation to drop the temp to 50 degrees and maintain it. This has not been the case, my apartment has not been consistantly cold. I do not have control over the heat sometimes its cold sometimes it's swealtering.

Anyone keep these guys?

Thanks
 

katebutton

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Hello,
I don't know if this will be any help but I don't think your froglets are hibernating. The "antifreeze" the frogs are equipped with isn't visible at all (it's built in on the cellular level), so what that froglet had on it must've been something else. Not sure what. Also, temps need to be down way below 50 degrees in order to hibernate frogs. I hibernate grays in a lab and we drop the temp down below freezing. Being a new froglet is a really hard time for a frog, so if you searched the cage really well and can't find them it might just be that they died. Hope that's not the case, though.
Good luck!
 

meghanashley

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Thanks, I guess I'll take apart the tank, They were all doing so well eating fruitflies some even got to the point of being large enough to eat pin head crickets. Not sure what could have happened, they all disappeared in the matter of a day or so. I wonder where the bodies went? guess I'll see when I empty to tank.

Thanks again for the reply
 

monkeyfrogman28

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Check under the substrate. I have had adult greys bury them selves under the substrate. They are more than likely hibernating
 

malduroque

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I agree with monkeyfrogman. The adults I've had could sometimes be found partially dug in and also under plants during the day. It stands to reason that froglets would be even more secretive. Keep looking and do let us know how it turns out.

Mal
 

meghanashley

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Thanks guys, I used to see them every morning like clockwork hanging out on the edge of their pond area. Then they all disappeared, including even my last fat tadpole that seemed to not be in any rush to become a frog. I don't think that they escaped and if they did I would think I would have seen them hanging out around my fish tank, which is close to thier tank and uncovered, and as I said no bodies have been discovered. Let you guys know what the results of some digging around this weekend turns up.

Thanks again
 

meghanashley

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here are some pictures of them and their set up, tank is a 40 breeder, I had lying around after I lost my ornate bichir.

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I removed the pond area because with the filter running in it, it was cuasing too much condensation, and replaced with a dinner plate that I leave water in. I also removed all the moss bedding from the tank and seeded the soil to rid it of all the excess water from the previous pond set up showed in the pics. I will remove the grass this weekend and in doing so see if I uncover/ recover :) any froglets.
 

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vincent

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Hi just brought my this years greys, inside they have been outside all the time since they changed from taddies to frogs [ see my very long posting on breeding greys posted last year] they have experienced minus 8 celcius and i lost one very dodgy one. On a sad note I lost three european treefrogs that I missed hibernating in the water but the other 6 have buried into thesubstrate. My friend keeps his outside in a greenhouse all year they disappear in mid October and re-emerge in March or April its the light and temp that regulates them;)
 

vincent

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If you are wondering why I brought them in its because they were last years babies and I had problems with the taddies I ONLY GOT 12 out of three batches of spawn but they appear to be ok. We are experiencing very cold weather for England at the moment so I didn't risk too long a hibernation for them I found them buried at the bases of live grasses I had growing in their enclosure right in the middle of the plants they were very cold and almost frozen .I brought them in yesterday and placed them in a small viv today they are active .For information also hibernated H- Cineria in same tank outside and B-Orientalis no losses ,lost one 6year old B- Varigata but I have a colony of 25 individuals. though it is still sad to loose them! Trouble is if you don't hibernate they wont breed they will breed at 9 months old if fed correctly .If you want a safer bet is in the fridge for 3 months, but my tortoise is in with my newts and my wife likes to use it for FOOD not important stuff :eek:
 

Kerry1968

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I've heard of people keeping frogs in greenhouses, but I assumed that would be only in milder climates in the U.S. not in dear old Blighty! It's great to hear about all your frogs, I'd love to see some photos ;)
 

vincent

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More info basically, destroyed part of my out side viv to get at my frogs as weather forecast said very low temperatures in N East England and I didn't want to risk it as the substrate is not as deep as I would have liked,but brought 9 adult grey's H-Versicolor, 6 Hyla- Arborea ,and two Hyla- Japonica. They are now in boxes of damp moss in my fridge till 1st of Feb When I shall bring them out of hibernation. For info I have two large viv's built on the south facing wall of my house as I haven't room for a greenhouse and my frogs live in these for most part of the year, the problem is if you have live plants you cant lag your tanks as they need daylight. :eek:
 
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